Printing apparatus configured to transmit bluetooth low energy advertise packet

ABSTRACT

A user sets a format of an advertise packet to be transmitted from a plurality of formats using a setting screen displayed on a printing apparatus, and the printing apparatus transmits an advertise packet according to the setting made via the setting screen.

BACKGROUND

Field

The present disclosure relates to a printing apparatus implementing aBluetooth® Low Energy function.

Description of the Related Art

In recent years, a Bluetooth® Low Energy function has been increasinglyimplemented in various communication apparatuses such as smartphones,tablet terminals, digital cameras, and printing apparatuses. Acommunication apparatus including the Bluetooth® Low Energy function isconfigured to notify information to other devices including theBluetooth® Low Energy function using advertise packets. Thecommunication apparatus performs bidirectional communication with otherdevices using Bluetooth® Low Energy Generic Attribute Profile (GATT)communication. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-025466discusses a configuration in which whether a service can be providedusing Bluetooth® Low Energy is communicated between a digital camera anda tablet personal computer (PC).

Various companies can define their own formats of Bluetooth® Low Energyadvertise packets. For example, Apple® Inc. defines its format asiBeacon™ and Google® Inc. defines it's as Eddystone™.

Conventional communication apparatuses are configured to transmitadvertise packets in one format. Thus, the conventional communicationapparatuses are not applicable to an environment where advertise packetsin a plurality of formats are required. For example, an environmentwhere there are users who desire to use iBeacon™ and users who desire touse Eddystone™.

SUMMARY

According to an aspect of the present invention, a printing apparatusincludes a printing unit, a wireless communication unit configured totransmit a Bluetooth® Low Energy advertise packet at a predeterminedinterval, and a display unit configured to display a setting screen viawhich, from a plurality of formats, a format of an advertise packet tobe transmitted by the wireless communication unit is set, wherein thewireless communication unit transmits the advertise packet based on asetting made via the setting screen.

Further features will become apparent from the following description ofexemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a configuration of a communication system.

FIG. 2 illustrates a hardware configuration of a printing apparatus.

FIG. 3 illustrates a setting screen.

FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C each illustrate a data configuration of anadvertise packet.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a process which is executed by aprinting apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating a process which is executed by aprinting apparatus.

FIG. 7 illustrates a setting screen.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

An exemplary embodiment will be described below with reference to thedrawings. It should be noted that the exemplary embodiment describedbelow is not intended to be limiting, and that not every combination offeatures the below-described exemplary embodiment is always essential tothe discussed technical solution.

First, an overview of a communication system according to an exemplaryembodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The communicationsystem according to the present exemplary embodiment includes a printingapparatus 100 and a plurality of mobile terminals 101, 102, and 103. Theprinting apparatus 100 and the mobile terminals 101, 102, and 103 eachinclude a Bluetooth® Low Energy function. The printing apparatus 100broadcasts an advertise packet at a predetermined interval. The mobileterminals 101, 102, and 103 receive the advertise packet. When themobile terminals 101, 102, and 103 need to perform Bluetooth® Low Energycommunication with the printing apparatus 100, the mobile terminals 101,102, and 103 transmit a connection request to the printing apparatus 100to change to Generic Attribute Profile (GATT) communication. The GATTcommunication realizes bidirectional communication between the printingapparatus 100 and the mobile terminals 101, 102, and 103. The printingapparatus 100 can transmit advertise packets in a plurality of formats.Details thereof will be described below

Next, the hardware configuration of the printing apparatus 100 will bedescribed below with reference to FIG. 2. The printing apparatus 100 isan example of a communication apparatus that includes the Bluetooth® LowEnergy function. Any communication apparatus including the Bluetooth®Low Energy function, such as a smartphone, tablet terminal, or digitalcamera, can be used in place of the printing apparatus 100.

A central processing unit (CPU) 201 reads a control program stored in aread-only memory (ROM) 202 and executes various types of processing tocontrol operations of the printing apparatus 100. A random access memory

(RAM) 203 is used as a temporary storage area, for example, as a mainmemory of the CPU 201 or a work area. A hard disk drive (HDD) 204 is anon-volatile storage medium configured to store various types of data.

A printer 209 executes printing processing on a sheet based on printdata received by a wireless local area network (LAN) chip 206 or anetwork interface (I/F) 213. A scanner 210 reads a document placedthereon and generates a document image. The document image generated bythe scanner 210 is printed, i.e., copy processing, by the printer 209 oraccumulated in the HDD 204.

An operation unit 211 includes a keyboard and a liquid crystal displayunit implementing a touch panel function. The operation unit 211displays various types of operation screens. A user can inputinstructions and information to the printing apparatus 100 via theoperation unit 211. An integrated circuit (IC) card reader 212 readsuser information from an IC card. The printing apparatus 100 executesauthentication processing using the user information read by the IC cardreader 212.

The wireless LAN chip 206 is a chip for performing wireless LANcommunication, such as Institute of

Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11a/b/g/n/accommunication. A wireless LAN controller 205 controls the wireless LANcommunication performed by the wireless LAN chip 206. A Bluetooth® chip208 is a wireless communication chip for performing Bluetooth® wirelesscommunication. The Bluetooth® chip 208 also implements the Bluetooth®Low Energy function and broadcasts Bluetooth® Low Energy advertisepackets at a predetermined interval. A Bluetooth® controller 207controls the Bluetooth® communication and Bluetooth® Low Energycommunication performed by the Bluetooth® chip 208. The network I/F 213communicates with an external device (e.g., personal computer (PC)) on awired LAN.

The printing apparatus 100 according to the present exemplary embodimentsupports at least the following four formats of advertise packets:iBeacon™, Eddystone™, a printing application, and a custom format. Theprinting apparatus 100 transmits advertise packets in a format selectedby a user from among the plurality of formats.

A user, e.g., system administrator, via a setting screen 300 illustratedin FIG. 3, selects, from the plurality of formats, a format of theadvertise packet to be transmitted from the printing apparatus 100. Inthe present exemplary embodiment, the setting screen 300 displays theabove-described four types of formats. The setting screen 300illustrates an example in which iBeacon™ and Eddystone™ are selected. Ifthe user selects a desired format and presses an OK button 301, thesetting made via the setting screen 300 is stored as an advertise packettransmission setting in the HDD 204 of the printing apparatus 100. Theoperation unit 211 of the printing apparatus 100 displays the settingscreen 300.

Next, iBeacon™, Eddystone™, the printing application, and the customformat will be described.

Advertise packets in iBeacon™ format are used by mobile terminals thatsupport iBeacon™. FIG. 4A illustrates the data configuration of anadvertise packet in iBeacon™ format. The advertise packet in iBeacon™format stores a universally unique identifier (UUID), major value, minorvalue, and transmission power level value as its features.

Advertise packets in Eddystone™ format are used by mobile terminals thatsupport Eddystone™. FIG. 4B illustrates the data configuration of anadvertise packet in Eddystone™ format. The advertise packet inEddystone™ format is characterized by storing a transmission power levelvalue and an arbitrary uniform resource locator (URL).

The printing application is an advertise packet format defined by themanufacturer of the printing apparatus 100. Advertise packets inprinting application format are used by mobile terminals on which aspecific application (e.g., application provided to users by themanufacturer of the printing apparatus 100) is installed. FIG. 4Cillustrates the data configuration of an advertise packet in printingapplication format. The advertise packet in printing application formatincludes a device category and a media access control (MAC) address (MACaddress of the printing apparatus 100 according to the present exemplaryembodiment) as its feature.

The custom format is a format registered in the printing apparatus 100by a user. In the present exemplary embodiment, if a user desires thatthe printing apparatus 100 transmits an advertise packet in a formatdifferent from iBeacon™, Eddystone™, and printing application, the usercan register the desired format via a registration screen (notillustrated). The custom format is the setting that indicates that theregistered format is used. Information about the format to be registeredas the custom format can be imported into the printing apparatus 100using a file transfer protocol (FTP) or near field communication (NFC).

As described above, since companies define their own Bluetooth® LowEnergy advertise packet formats, the data configurations of advertisepackets are different from each other.

Next, a process will be described, with reference to a flow chartillustrated in FIG. 5, in which the printing apparatus 100 selects aformat of an advertise packet to be transmitted according to the settingmade via the setting screen 300. The CPU 201 loads the control programstored in a memory such as the ROM 202, into the RAM 203 and executesthe control program to perform the steps described in the flow chartillustrated in FIG. 5. The printing apparatus 100 can be configured suchthat the CPU 201 executes at least some of the steps described in theflow chart illustrated in FIG. 5 and another CPU (not illustrated)different from the CPU 201 executes the rest of the steps. The processillustrated in the flow chart in FIG. 5 is executed when the printingapparatus 100 is activated or when the OK button 301 on the settingscreen 300 is pressed by a user.

First, in step S501, the CPU 201 initializes values of variables N andMAX. In the present exemplary embodiment, the CPU 201 initializes thevalue of variable N to one and the value of variable MAX to zero.

Next, in step S502, the CPU 201 determines whether the advertise packetin iBeacon™ format is to be transmitted. If the advertise packet iniBeacon™ format is to be transmitted according to the setting made viathe setting screen 300 (YES in step S502), the processing proceeds tostep S503. If the advertise packet in iBeacon™ format is not to betransmitted according to the setting made via the setting screen 300 (NOin step S502), the processing proceeds to step S505.

In step S503, the CPU 201 sets iBeacon™ as the Nth (N is the value ofvariable N) format to be transmitted. Next, in step S504, the CPU 201increases each of the variables N and MAX by one.

In step S505, the CPU 201 determines whether the advertise packet inEddystone™ format is to be transmitted.

If the advertise packet in Eddystone™ format is to be transmittedaccording to the setting made via the setting screen 300 (YES in stepS505), the processing proceeds to step S506. If the advertise packet inEddystone™ format is not to be transmitted according to the setting madevia the setting screen 300 (NO in step S505), the processing proceeds tostep S508.

In step S506, the CPU 201 sets Eddystone™ as the Nth (N is the value ofvariable N) format to be transmitted. Then, in step S507, the CPU 201increases each of the variables N and MAX by one.

In step S508, the CPU 201 determines whether an advertise packet inprinting application format is to be transmitted. If an advertise packetin printing application format is to be transmitted according to thesetting made via the setting screen 300 (YES in step S508), theprocessing proceeds to step S509. If an advertise packet in printingapplication format is not to be transmitted according to the setting setvia the setting screen 300 (NO in step S508), the processing proceeds tostep S511.

In step S509, the CPU 201 sets the printing application format as theNth (N is the value of variable N) format to transmit. Next, in stepS510, the CPU 201 increases each of variables N and MAX by one.

In step S511, the CPU 201 determines whether an advertise packet incustom format is to be transmitted. If the advertise packet in customformat is to be transmitted according to the setting made via thesetting screen 300 (YES in step S511), the processing proceeds to stepS512. If the advertise packet in custom format is not to be transmittedaccording to the setting made via the setting screen 300 (NO in stepS511), the process illustrated in the flow chart ends.

In step S512, the CPU 201 sets the custom format as the Nth (N is thevalue of variable N) format to be transmitted. Then, in step S513, theCPU 201 increases each of variables N and MAX by one.

By performing the process illustrated in the flow chart in FIG. 5, theprinting apparatus 100 can select a format of an advertise packet to betransmitted according to the setting made via the setting screen 300.

Next, a process will be described, with reference to a flow chartillustrated in FIG. 6, that is executed when the printing apparatus 100transmits the advertise packets. The CPU 201 loads the control programstored in a memory such as the ROM 202 into the RAM 203 and executes thecontrol program to perform the steps specified in the flow chartillustrated in FIG. 6. The printing apparatus 100 can be configured suchthat the CPU 201 executes some of the steps specified in the flow chartillustrated in FIG. 5 and another CPU (not illustrated) different fromthe CPU 201 executes the rest of the steps.

First, in step S601, the CPU 201 initializes a value of variable M. Inthe present exemplary embodiment, the CPU 201 initializes the value ofvariable M to one.

Next, in step S602, the CPU 201 starts transmission of an advertisepacket set as the Mth (M is the value of variable M) advertise packet.The CPU 201 instructs the Bluetooth® controller 207 to starttransmission of the advertise packet set as the Mth advertise packet.Then, according to the control by the Bluetooth® controller 207, theBluetooth® chip 208 starts transmission of the advertise packet set asthe Mth advertise packet. The Bluetooth® chip 208 periodically transmitsthe advertise packet at a predetermined time interval (e.g., interval of100 msec).

Next, in step S603, the CPU 201 determines whether a predetermined time(e.g., 1000 msec) has elapsed after the start of the transmission of theadvertise packet set as the Mth advertise packet. Until thepredetermined time elapses after the start of the transmission of theadvertise packet set as the Mth advertise packet, the Bluetooth® chip208 repeats transmission of the advertise packet set as the Mthadvertise packet at the predetermined time interval. If thepredetermined time has elapsed after the start of the transmission ofthe advertise packet set as the Mth advertise packet (YES in step S603),the processing proceeds to step S604. If the predetermined time has notelapsed after the start of the transmission of the advertise packet setas the Mth advertise packet (NO in step S603), the CPU 201 stands byuntil the predetermined time elapses.

In step S604, the CPU 201 stops transmission of the advertise packet setas the Mth (M is the value of variable M) advertise packet. The CPU 201instructs the Bluetooth® controller 207 to stop transmission of theadvertise packet set as the Mth advertise packet. Then, according to thecontrol by the Bluetooth® controller 207, the Bluetooth® chip 208 stopstransmission of the advertise packet set as the Mth advertise packet.

Next, in step S605, the CPU 201 determines whether the value of variableM is equal to the value of variable MAX. If the value of variable M isnot equal to the value of variable MAX (NO in step S605), the processingproceeds to step S606. In step S606, the CPU 201 increases the value ofvariable M by one, and the processing returns to step S602. In stepS602, the CPU 201 starts transmission of an advertise packet set as theMth (M is the value of variable M) advertise packet. That is, the CPU201 starts transmission of the advertise packet in the next format.

In step S605, if the value of variable M is equal to the value ofvariable MAX (YES in step S605), the processing returns to step S601,and the CPU 201 initializes the value of variable M. Then, in step S602,the CPU 201 starts transmission of an advertise packet set as the Mth (Mis the value of variable M) advertise packet. In other words, the CPU201 starts transmission of the advertise packet in a format set as thefirst format.

The following describes the flow chart illustrated in FIG. 6 withreference to a specific example. For example, if iBeacon™ and Eddystone™are selected on the setting screen 300, an advertise packet in iBeacon™format, an advertise packet in Eddystone™ format, an advertise packet iniBeacon™ format, an advertise packet in Eddystone™ format, etc. aretransmitted in this order. If Eddystone™, printing application, andcustom format are selected on the setting screen 300, an advertisepacket in Eddystone™ format, an advertise packet in printing applicationformat, an advertise packet in custom format, an advertise packet inEddystone™ format, an advertise packet in printing application format,an advertise packet in custom format, etc. are transmitted in thisorder.

There can be a case in which the Bluetooth® chip 208 receives aconnection request from a mobile terminal while the process illustratedin the flow chart in FIG. 6 is executed, i.e., while the Bluetooth® chip208 transmits an advertise packet. In this case, the Bluetooth® chip 208can perform GATT communication with the mobile terminal while continuingto transmit the advertise packet, or can suspend transmission of theadvertise packet and then perform GATT communication. In the case inwhich transmission of the advertise packet is suspended, transmission ofthe advertise packet is resumed when the GATT communication ends.

As described above, according to the present exemplary embodiment, theprinting apparatus 100 can transmit advertise packets in a plurality offormats. A user (e.g., system administrator) can select from theplurality of formats a format of an advertise packet to be transmittedby the printing apparatus 100. For example, in the environment in whichthere are people who desire to use iBeacon™ and people who desire to useEddystone™, the user can select iBeacon™ and Eddystone™ as formats ofadvertise packets to be transmitted.

The printing apparatus 100 according to the present exemplaryembodiment, does not simultaneously transmit advertise packets in two ormore formats. For example, in the case in which iBeacon™ and Eddystone™are selected on the setting screen 300, the printing apparatus 100 doesnot simultaneously transmit the advertise packet in iBeacon™ format andthe advertise packet in Eddystone™ format. The printing apparatus 100first transmits the advertise packet in iBeacon™ format. Then, after thepredetermined time elapses, the printing apparatus 100 stopstransmission of the advertise packet in iBeacon™ format and then startstransmission of the advertise packet in Eddystone™ format.

In the present exemplary embodiment, there can be a case in which noneof the formats displayed on the setting screen 300 is selected as aformat of an advertise packet to be transmitted. In this case, theprinting apparatus 100 does not need to transmit an advertise packet, sothe supply of power to the Bluetooth® chip 208 can be stopped, and theBluetooth® Low Energy function of the printing apparatus 100 can bedisabled.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the advertise packets in eachformat are periodically transmitted at the same time interval (e.g.,interval of 100 msec). In the present exemplary embodiment, the sametime also elapses until the format of the advertise packet to betransmitted is switched to the next format (e.g., 1000 msec). A user canset such time intervals for each format. A setting screen 700illustrated in FIG. 7 is a modified example of the setting screen 300illustrated in FIG. 3. On the setting screen 700, the user can set foreach of the formats the time interval (transmission interval) in thetransmission of advertise packets and the time (transmission time) toelapse until the format of the advertise packet to be transmitted isswitched to the next format.

The above-described exemplary embodiment provides a communicationapparatus that is applicable to an environment in which advertisepackets in a plurality of formats are needed.

Other Embodiments

Embodiment(s) can also be realized by a computer of a system orapparatus that reads out and executes computer executable instructions(e.g., one or more programs) recorded on a storage medium (which mayalso be referred to more fully as a ‘non-transitory computer-readablestorage medium’) to perform the functions of one or more of theabove-described embodiment(s) and/or that includes one or more circuits(e.g., application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) for performingthe functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s), andby a method performed by the computer of the system or apparatus by, forexample, reading out and executing the computer executable instructionsfrom the storage medium to perform the functions of one or more of theabove-described embodiment(s) and/or controlling the one or morecircuits to perform the functions of one or more of the above-describedembodiment(s). The computer may comprise one or more processors (e.g.,central processing unit (CPU), micro processing unit (MPU)) and mayinclude a network of separate computers or separate processors to readout and execute the computer executable instructions. The computerexecutable instructions may be provided to the computer, for example,from a network or the storage medium. The storage medium may include,for example, one or more of a hard disk, a random-access memory (RAM), aread only memory (ROM), a storage of distributed computing systems, anoptical disk (such as a compact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD),or Blu-ray Disc (BD)™), a flash memory device, a memory card, and thelike.

While exemplary embodiments have been described, it is to be understoodthat the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplaryembodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded thebroadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications andequivalent structures and functions.

This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No.2016-060644, filed Mar. 24, 2016, which is hereby incorporated byreference herein in its entirety.

What is claimed is:
 1. A printing apparatus comprising: a printing unit;a wireless communication unit configured to transmit an advertise packetof Bluetooth® Low Energy at a predetermined interval; and a setting unitconfigured to set, from a plurality of formats, a format of theadvertise packet to be transmitted by the wireless communication unit,wherein the wireless communication unit transmits the advertise packetbased on the set format.
 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1,wherein the plurality of formats includes a format corresponding to aprinting application installed in a mobile terminal.
 3. A method forcontrolling a printing apparatus that transmits an advertise packet ofBluetooth® Low Energy at a predetermined interval, the methodcomprising: setting, from a plurality of formats, a format of theadvertise packet to be transmitted; and transmitting the advertisepacket based on the set format.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein theplurality of formats includes a format corresponding to a printingapplication installed in a mobile terminal.
 5. A computer-readablestorage medium storing computer executable instructions for causing acomputer to execute a method for controlling a printing apparatus thattransmits an advertise packet of Bluetooth® Low Energy at apredetermined interval, the method comprising: setting, from a pluralityof formats, a format of the advertise packet to be transmitted; andtransmitting the advertise packet based on the set format.
 6. Thestorage medium of claim 5, wherein the plurality of formats includes aformat corresponding to a printing application installed in a mobileterminal.